NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies) and SIBM P (Symbiosis Institute of Business Management) have released their final admission lists, long before the IIM interviews have even come to a close. The dilemma plaguing many a student’s minds would be: Which institute to choose between nmims-vs-new-iims-vs-sibm-p

NMIMS and SIBM-P are the two institutes which are often pitted against the newer batch of the IIMs, which are included in the CAP (Common Admission Process). Is brand ‘IIM’ efficacious enough to trump these two seasoned B-schools? Lets look at nmims-vs-new-iims-vs-sibm-p

There are a lot of factors to be considered while evaluating a B-School. Placements are given the first priority by many students while choosing where to go. While not a bad parameter, it is definitely not a comprehensive one. Amidst reports of B-Schools exaggerating their placement claims, it is especially not advisable to not consider other factors. When it is the question of investing the next two years of your life, personal parameters also play a role. The broad parameters which should be looked at, are:

Location (sometimes personal)

Fee (personal)

Specialisation (very personal)

Umbrella factor: Other factors

Since students have to decide between SIBM-P and NMIMS right now, here is a comparison between the two:

LOCATION: NMIMS might have a slight edge here, in terms of placements, specially for finance.

BATCH STRENGTH: SIBM scores over NMIMS here as the batch size of NMIMS is around 500 students, while that of SIBM remains around 180. Batch size creates rippling effect when it comes to placements.

COURSE FEE: NMIMS course fee is Rs.17.5 L (excluding hostel) and SIBM’s is Rs. 20 L (including hostel). The cost of living in Mumbai will bring the total cost to about the same level.

As for nmims-vs-new-iims-vs-sibm-p, even though they are new products in the market right now, they have gained their footing, thanks to the IIM name. The students that have secured placements in good companies may influence their recruitment managers to continue to recruit from the new IIMs they came from, by performing well and proving the merit of the institute.

Since the new IIMs are mentored by old ones, in-class learning experience is matched with the mentor IIM even though their campus may not be on par with the mentor IIM. For most of the new IIMs, their own campus is under construction and it won’t be long before they shift to their permanent campuses. The faculty that teaches at new IIMs in loaned to them by their mentor IIMs, so there is the assurance of best faculty.

Students in the newer IIMs can also register for any elective offered owing to the small batch size while the same elective may have restricted number of sections taught in the mentor IIMs. In the long run, brand IIM will take these institutes to heights. In true Apple fashion, an IIM is an IIM is an IIM..

All said, for nmims-vs-new-iims-vs-sibm-p, the final choice should be made on the basis of desired specialisation, if one is very sure of the specialisation one wants to pursue.

For Finance specialisation, IIM Ranchi and NMIMS should be preferred over the other institutes. This may not come as a surprise to many as IIM Ranchi is being mentored by IIM Calcutta, the known finance campus of India. NMIMS is situated in the finance capital of India, and hence, there are no second thoughts here. Placements are influenced a lot by location.

For Marketing specialisation, SIBM-P and IIM Udaipur are clear winners. In final placements of 2017, about 30% of the offers made were in the marketing role in SIBM-P. Time and again, marketing role has proved to be a major contributor in the placements in SIBM-P.

For Human Resources specialisation, SIBM-P and IIM Ranchi should be given preference. IIM Ranchi is emerging as the fastest growing new IIM, which has a lot to do with it being mentored by the oldest IIM!

]]>https://www.gpkafunda.com/nmims-vs-new-iims-vs-sibm-p/feed/1Top B-Schools where you can still apply through CAThttps://www.gpkafunda.com/top-b-schools-apply-cat-xat-cmat/
https://www.gpkafunda.com/top-b-schools-apply-cat-xat-cmat/#commentsWed, 31 Jan 2018 05:29:24 +0000https://www.gpkafunda.com/?p=6444You are advised to not only apply to B-Schools where the cut-offs are around or a little more than what you have scored, but also to some where the cut-offs are less than your score.

The cut-offs listed below are for General Category. In colleges where NC-OBC, SC and ST reservations exist, please reduce the cut-offs by 10%, 20% and 30% respectively to get the category cut-offs. Continue to read about Top B-Schools where you can still apply through CAT/XAT/CMAT

B-School

Last Date

Expected Cut-off
(Percentile)

Our Rating

Avg Sal 2017
(lacs per year)

JBIMS Mumbai (MMS/MSc Fin)

Through Mah-CET. Wait for the notification.

A++/A

18.8/16.3

SRCC (PGDBO)

31st January

Own Test (4th Mar)

B

8

IIT Bombay (Only engineers)

31st January

97.5

A+

17.6

NITIE Mumbai (PGDIM/PGDISEM)

22nd January

97/94
(92/90 in each section)

A+

16.9/15.9

IISc Bangalore (Only engineers)

March – mid

95

A

16.1

IIT Delhi (Non-engineers can also apply)

29th January

95(Profile very important)

A

16.2

IIT Kharagpur (MBA – only engineers)

30th January

93(Difficult for freshers to get in)

A

15.6

IIT Madras (Non-engineers can also apply)

29th January

94(Profile also considered)

A-

11.9

IIT Roorkee (Only engineers)

29th January

94(Profile also considered)

A-

9.2

MFC & MBE (DU)

Open

94(Profile also considered)

A-

11.7/9

IIT Kanpur (Only engineers)

29th January

92(Profile also considered)

A-

10.4

IIM Ranchi (PGDHRM)

February – mid

90 (70 in each)

A-

13.8

IMI Delhi (PGDM/HR/B&FS)

21st January

90/85/83

A-/B+/B+

12.5/10.8/12.1

(60 in each section, except PGDM QA 75%ile)

*IMT Ghaziabad / Nagpur / Hyderabad

21st January

90/70/65

A-/B-/C+

11/7.5/7

*IRMA Anand

20th January

80

A-

10.2

*MICA Ahmedabad

5th February

80

A-

12.6

*TAPMI Manipal (PGDM/Banking&Fin Ser)

May extend

85/90

B+/B

10

(lower for candidates with work-ex)

*K J Somaiya Mum (PGDM/IB/Comm/Fin Ser)

31st January

87

B+/B/B-/B-

9.2

*Fore Delhi (PGDM/IBM)

18th January

85/78

B+/B

9.4

LBSIM Delhi (PGDM/Fin)

Open

84/82

B+/B

8.5

IIT Kharagpur (MHRM – only engineers)

16th February

83

B+

9.5

BIM Tiruchirapalli

31st January

80

B+

10

*LIBA Chennai

31st January

80

B+

9

(18 %ile in VARC, 49 in DILR & 42 in QA)

UBS Chandigarh (Gen/IB/HR)

Will re-open

90/85/80

B

7.6

*Great Lakes Chennai/Gurgaon
(2 year PGDM)

25th February

85/80(Profile-based)

B/B-

9.3/9.1

FMS (BHU)

22nd January

80

B

7

NIBM Pune

20th March

80

B

10

Nirma Ahmedabad

29th January

80 (40 in each)

B

8.2

*Welingkar Mumbai / Bengaluru

26th January

80/75

B

8/7

*IFMR Chennai

5th February

75 (Profile-based)

B

8.5

BITS Pilani (Only engineers)

15th February

70 (Profile-based)

B

7.5

MDI Murshidabad

31st January

70

B

8

*IIFM Bhopal

10th February

84 (78 in each)

B-

6.4

NIT Trichy (Non-engineers can also apply)

Details Awaited

75

B-

6.5

*BIMTECH Noida

31st January

70

B-

7.5

Delhi School of Mgmt (DTU) ~(Non-engineers can also apply)

Details Awaited

70

B-

6.4

IISWBM Kolkata (MBA/MHRM)

Open

70/60

B-/C

7/5

*SDM IMD Mysore

28th February

70

B-

6.5

SIES Mumbai

Details Awaited

70

B-

6.7

*XIME Bengaluru

25th February

70

B-

6.7

*IMI Kolkata/Bhubaneswar

28th January

65

B-

6.2/7.5

NIA SOM Pune

15th March

65

B-

7

*XISS Ranchi (HRM/Others)

20th February

65/50

B-/C

8/5 or less

Christ University Bengaluru (MBA)

20th January

70

C+

*Amrita Coimbatore

31st January

65

C+

*BIMM Pune

28th January

65

C+

*Chetana Mumbai

Details Awaited

65

C+

N L Dalmia Mumbai (PGDBM)

Details Awaited

65

C+

AIM Kolkata

31st January

60

C+

*ISB&M Pune/Kolkata/Bangalore

Open

60

C+/C/C

*ITM Mumbai

31st March

60

C+

*TAPMI SOB Jaipur

Open

60

C+

Application forms for B-Schools like AIMS, Apeejay, BML Munjal, Globsyn, EMPI, Jaipuria, IBA, IFIM, IILM, Jindal, Kirloskar, NDIM, PIBM, Presidency Bengaluru, TSM Madurai, United World, Woxsen etc are also available. These B-Schools would shortlist using CAT/XAT/CMAT/MAT scores and could be available at 60 percentile or lower.

* Institutes with an asterisk before their names also accept the XAT scores.

XAT

XAT 2018 Score vs Expected Percentile

(This is based on the test conducted on 7th January 2018 and is subject to revision if the XAT authorities use normalization or any other method on account of the retest.)

Score

Percentile

33

95

30

90

27.5

85

25.5

80

24

75

All the colleges mentioned in the earlier list, which accept XAT scores will have similar cutoffs for XAT as well. There are two exceptions though –

K J Somaiya – 75%ile in XAT

LIBA – 70%ile in XAT (68 %ile in VARC, 37 in DM & 49 in QA)

The last dates to apply will also be the same except for IMT (31st January) and TAPMI (probably till after declaration of XAT results). Some more colleges may extend their last dates, however, you are advised not to wait any longer and apply asap if you are interested in any college(s).

]]>https://www.gpkafunda.com/top-b-schools-apply-cat-xat-cmat/feed/6Jayein toh jayein kahaan 2018: Top MBA Collegeshttps://www.gpkafunda.com/jayein-toh-jayein-kahaan-2018-institute/
https://www.gpkafunda.com/jayein-toh-jayein-kahaan-2018-institute/#commentsFri, 19 Jan 2018 08:20:45 +0000https://www.gpkafunda.com/?p=6427A student seeking my advice on which MBA institute should he join said “Sir, if I were your nephew then after considering all factors which out of these three institutes would you recommend?”

There is always a dilemma when it comes to choosing an MBA institute because a wrong choice of institute could very easily lead to a poor career growth or waste of money or both. Unfortunately, most rankings do not consider the student’s point of view and have a low weight for one of the most important criteria – the placements.

To my mind the most important measure of the worth of a B School is its placement record and hence my preference for an institute is determined primarily by the placements. Placements refer to not only the average/median salary but also include the difficult to quantify factors like the reputation, quality of opportunities and the kind of companies that visit the institute. Secondly, with most of the good institutes charging a fee of over Rs 12 lakh for the MBA program, the cost of doing an MBA is a factor that cannot be ignored.

Between similarly placed MBA institutes the location becomes the tie breaker. I also believe that all programs in an institute are not at the same level and hence I have a program-wise order of preference and not institute-wise.

So dear nephews/nieces, my order of preference of over 100 MBA programs is given in the table below. Please note that this should not be misunderstood as a ranking of MBA institutes/programs. The institutes/programs of different levels are placed in different clusters and within a cluster the ones on top are preferred over the lower ones. However, institutes within 2-3 places of each other are at par and you could choose any of them. For the institutes in Cluster 6 it might be useful to prefer an institute in your state/region as the overall cost would be lower and being from the region could be helpful during placements. For example, if you are from West Bengal then IISWBM is likely to be a better option than IBS Hyderabad.

Finally, do not rely only on this table, do check the other sources (especially current and past students) as well and take an informed decision looking at all factors that are important for you. This table has around 144 institutes/programs and there are many good institutes that I am not aware of. Hence for institutes not in this list (also for Cluster 6 institutes) a campus visit along with interaction with current students are recommended before the final decision.

It is worth noting that Institutes in the first few clusters have been ranked based on a few more parameters. While one really cannot differentiate between IIM A, B and C. IIM A tops the list based on reputation and C comes in second place since its fees is the lowest amongst the three. FMS is in the top 5 in the list because of the ROI. JBIMS is a little lower since there is reservation for candidates from Maharashtra. TISS is a little lower in the list but that’s mostly because it is a specialized program. A general management program is preferred (over specialized programs) as it allows you to choose your area of specialization after studying all subjects in the first year. However, if you are interested in that stream then it would rank higher for you. For e.g. if you are looking for a specialization in HR then XLRI, TISS and IIM K would be your preferences.

Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 1

Undoubtedly, like every year IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta and Bengaluru acquire the top three positions in best B- schools’ rankings respectively. With the best placement records, great reputation and endless opportunities these institutes stand as crème de la crème institutes. FMS Delhi, IIM Lucknow and XLRI are all equally good and one can choose either of these based on one’s specific requirements. If you are a candidate with over 3 years of work experience then you should be looking at ISB Hyderabad which offers a one-year course and accepts GMAT scores for admission. FMS, TISS and JBIMS stand out in terms of excellent Return on Investment (ROI) due to their very low fee and excellent placements.

1. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A)

Ahmedabad

PGP

2. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-C)

Kolkata

PGDM

3. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-B)

Bengaluru

PGP

4. Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) – Delhi University

New Delhi

MBA

5. Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI)

Jamshedpur

HRM

6. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-L)

Lucknow

PGPM

7. Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI)

Jamshedpur

BM

9. Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS)

Mumbai

MMS

10. Indian School of Business (ISB)

Hyderabad

PGP

11. Management Development Institute (MDI)

Gurgaon

PGPM

12. SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR)

Mumbai

PGDM

13. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

Mumbai

MA HRM LR

Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 2

Many other IIMs and non-IIM colleges are part of cluster 2. This cluster shows that some non-IIM institutes make their mark as better B-schools than most of the IIM colleges in terms of growth, learning and placements. IIFT Kolkata is also listed in cluster 2 along with IIFT Delhi because that they have common placements and hence there is no disparity among the two institutes. IIML ABM is preferred over IIMA FABM because while IIML does not differentiate between ABM and PGP in terms of placement opportunities, IIMA has a separate placement process for PGP and FABM. Most interesting is National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) renowned for its operations courses making its way in cluster 2.

* same ranking for the two institutes because of the common placements and almost the same set of faculty teaching at both campuses.

12. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-K)

Kozhikode

PGP

13. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-I)

Indore

PGPM

14*. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

New Delhi

MBA

15*. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

Kolkata

MBA

16. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-L)

Lucknow

ABM

17. Indian Institute of Management Shillong

Shillong

PGPM

18. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay – SJSOM

Mumbai

M. MANAGEMENT

19. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A)

Ahmedabad

FABM

20. National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)

Mumbai

PGDIM

21. Indian Institute of Management Ranchi

Ranchi

PGDM

32. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi – DMS

New Delhi

MBA

Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 3

The new IIMs feature in this cluster.IIM Ranchi is seen to be gearing up as the HRM program by IIM Ranchi has been appreciated by the industry. B-schools such as MICA and IRMA that offer specialized programs also find their spot in this cluster. It must be understood that in their specialization, these two B-schools are the best in the country. For example, MICA is regarded as one of the top most B-schools in country for its Marketing and Advertising program. NMIMS should be looked up for finance while SIBM for marketing and HR. For candidates with over 2 years of work experience Great Lakes Chennai 1 year program (PGPM) can be considered over others as it has excellent industry recognition, but it is not approved by AICTE as PGDM hence those looking for further studies or Government/PSU jobs should also enroll for distance learning MBA from IGNOU or Annamalai University else they would be considered as “graduates” and not “post graduates” in India. In this cluster the IITs can be preferred over the others due to their low fee and good placements.

*same ranking for the three institutes as the placements are at par and all three have similar location benefits and are at parity with each other.

Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 4

The highlights of this cluster are B-schools like IMI Delhi, XIMB, KJ Somaiya, TAPMI which are ranked on the basis of quality opportunities and location. These colleges are equally good based on their past records.In terms of ROI the best institutes in this cluster are MFC, DU and MSc Finance JBIMS followed by NITIE and the IITs.

41Indian Institute of Management (IIM-V)

Vishakhapatnam

PGP

42.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-N)

Nagpur

PGP

43.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-Amritsar)

Amritsar

PGP

44. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur – DMS

Kanpur

MBA

45. Masters in International Business (MIB) Delhi School of Economics DU

Delhi

MIB

46. Master of Human Resource and Organisational Development (MHROD) Delhi School of Economics DU

Delhi

MHROD

47. Master of Finance & Control (MFC), DU

Delhi

MBA Fin

48. Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies

Mumbai

MSc Finance

49. International Management Institute (IMI)

Delhi

PGDM

50.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-S)

Sirmaur

PGP

51.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-J)

Jammu

PGP

52. T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI)

Manipal

PGDM

53. National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)

Mumbai

PGDISEM

54. Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

Bengaluru

M.Mmgt (Tech Mgmt& Biz Analytics)

55. Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee – DMS

Roorkee

MBA

56. NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies

Mumbai

MBA HR

57. Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB)

Bhubaneshwar

MBA HRM

58. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-L)

Lucknow (Noida)

SM

59. Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB)

Pune

MBA IB

60. K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research (SIMSR)

Mumbai

PGDM, IB, FM

61. Goa Institute of Management (GIM)

Goa

PGDM

62. Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM)

Tiruchirapally

MBA

63. Master of Business Economics (MBE), Department of Business Economics, DU

Delhi

MBE

64. Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA)

Chennai

PGDM

65. FORE School of Management

New Delhi

PGDM, IB

Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 5

Apart from the ones mentioned above, even other colleges are not far behind. Many aspirants who are unable to crack CAT with good score can definitely think of taking up any of these colleges. The final choice is made based on preferences and the requirements of the candidate. Also, Bennett & Coleman Group’s Benenett University finds its way in this cluster right in the first year of its inception. This is majorly because for its first batch, Bennett had assured a package of at least 7.5 LPA, for every student, at any of the companies of the Times Group. This kind of a placement guarantee helps it in getting to Cluster 5

The above emotion is something which a student, who is serious about CAT, would be feeling overwhelmed about! However, I would like you to believe that

->There are FORTY days for CAT.

Once you establish that you are going to work towards performing well in the CAT exam, and not worry about the number of days that exist, it would be much easier to plan!

There are also a lot of questions that must be going through your mind, which I plan to answer before we begin the plan for the next 40 days!

Should I only attempt mock CATs, now that we have just 40 days left?

The objective of writing a mock should be to get a complete rhythm of writing the CAT paper. The analysis of the mock exam should indicate how well you have executed the plan that you had set out for that particular exam.

In addition, mocks should be used to check out your weaknesses (and strengths) and should be used as a revision base too!

Should I leave some of the topics that I am weak in?

For the next 15 to 20 days, you can still concentrate on some of the weaknesses you have (in topics and areas). But, once we get to November, it is advisable that you stick to your strengths!

My scores in two sections are good, but I am not scoring well in the other!

This is very typical conundrum for many students. The causes can be many. However, if the issue is with just one section, then one has to put in twice the preparation time for that section as compared to the other two.

However, if there is no discernible pattern as to which section is going wrong, the analysis of your moods during the writing of the exam and trying to adjust them through a clinical approach in attempting the sections would be the need of the hour.

My scores are very erratic; I am losing confidence with each passing day! What do I do?

It is very natural that the scores will be a bit erratic. Understanding this itself will give you a good boost. Remember that if you have scored well in any section (mock), then it means your basic potential clearly exists. How you harness this ability without succumbing to emotions is the only challenge that you have. So do not worry about the erratic scores and concentrate on the process of writing the exam.

There are too many concerns the students are saddled with. But, the answer to almost all questions is the same:

Concentrate on what can be done rather than on what cannot be!

I reproduce below an excerpt of the article that I had written on ‘Need for Strategy’ for CAT. Following which, we discuss the best way to utilize the next 40 days!

Acing the CAT requires two parallel, yet distinctive approaches- One aimed at ensuring the utilization of 3 hours fully in the exam, and the other aimed at ensuring the maximum returns for the hours invested prior to the exam (read preparation).

Strategy for CAT 2017

No matter how good one may be at solving problems of QA and/or DILR, or at English usage, this exam requires a special approach. It is much like adapting oneself to various formats of a cricket game (Test, ODI, T20), even though one may be excellent at batting or bowling!

The basic purpose of a strategy is to ensure that

You read all questions in a section/set

You identify and solve the easy and medium level difficulty questions

You identify and avoid difficulty and/or lengthy questions

You have a maximum stop time for every question/every set

You maximize attempts

You throw emotion out of the window while attempting the exam

You be systematic and clinical in your approach!

To achieve the above, each student may have to hit upon a different idea/plan/strategy for attempting the exam.

FINAL STRATEGY FOR THE EXAM

Decide on the time limit you would set for each topic/sub-topic within each section

Stick to the game plan on the D-Day

Possible break-up of time-limits

QA – Attempt in two rounds (35 min and 25 min)

Or 6 questions in 10 min

Or 8/9 questions in 15 min

DI – 30 min (7.5 min for each set)

– Or In each 15 minutes slot, check two sets and choose ONE!

LR – 30 min (7.5 min for each set)

– Or In each 15 minutes slot, check two sets and choose ONE!

RC – 45 min (8/9 min for each passage)

VA – 12-15 min (For all non-RC questions)

In every section, sticking to the time limits is sacrosanct.

Within each set of DI/LR or RC – doing all questions is NOT the objective. Reading and trying to attempt, is!

In DI/LR section, it is important that you utilize the first few minutes in deciding which sets to attempt!

Preparation for the NEXT 40 days!

This is the time to forget about all the books and concentrate ONLY on Mock CATs and original CAT papers.

If required, one may attempt some sectional tests. However, there is really no point in going back to the basics often, and/or solving tons of questions from each chapter/area.

In this last leg of preparation, writing mocks to cement one’s strategy becomes imperative. At the same time, writing ONLY Mocks and doing nothing to improve one’s capability of solving more questions/different types of questions would be counter-productive. Writing only Mocks will set in fatigue in a few days and will affect the performance in the actual exam.

Plan for Mocks

Take 5 to 8 tests in the remaining 40 days. One mock exam a week, is also more than sufficient. However, your friends and seniors will tell you that you need to write more mocks. No harm in that except there is only so much time to do anything. Writing mocks alone won’t improve your marks. Hence, use the time judiciously. Take One Mock in 4 to 7 days (as per your convenience) and then utilize the intervening days, i.e. the days between the mocks, for improving the marks in each of the areas.

Here is what I recommend for each of the sections:

Quantitative Ability

Important Topics

Arithmetic – 9 to 10 questions

QE/Polynomials/Inequalities/Logs- 8 to 10 questions

Numbers – 7 to 8 questions

Geometry/CG/Mensuration – 5 to 6 questions

Pick 4 subtopics for every 4/5 days of work (between mocks)

For these subtopics – solve about 10 questions in each (From SmartCATs you have already done)

Data Interpretation

Divide DI into the seven types of questions

For each of the 4/5 days in between mocks, solve about 10 sets in each such type of questions

Tables & its variants

Bar Chart

Line Graphs

Pie Charts

Tournament & Games

Max/Minima & Venn Diagram

Miscellaneous – Spider, Triangle, Scatter Diagram etc.

Logical Reasoning/Logical Ability

Divided LR into the following

Arrangements (Linear and Circular)

Selection

Networks & Routes

Order Sequencing & Ranking

Binary Logic

Cubes & Venn Diagrams

Other puzzles

Solve 3 sets every day.

At the end of 40 days you should have solved close to 120 sets of LR

Reading Comprehension

Solve 3 RCs a day for the next 40 days.

Analyze every answer – wrong ones as well as the ones you get right!

For every wrong answer – Analyze why the same cannot be the answer

You will develop the method of thinking which works to ace CAT

Verbal Ability

Areas to work on

Grammar – daily 10 questions

Try understanding the entire gamut of questions that can appear

Subject-Verb; Parallelism; Phrasal Verbs; etc.

Para Jumbles: Every 3 days, solve around 15 questions

Critical Reasoning: Every 3 days, solve around 15 questions.

Para Completion/Summary/Others – 10 questions

Words – From every Smart CAT, make sure that you know as many as words as possible along with its usage.

Final Word

40 days can make a huge difference to your score

You can add a minimum of 60 marks to your current score.

That could mean a jump of about 20 to 30 percentile in final analysis.

If you are getting 90 percentile now, you can hope to touch 99 percentile with this approach OR from 80 to 97 OR from 70 to 95!!

]]>https://www.gpkafunda.com/40-days-cat-2017/feed/0SNAP Shot!!https://www.gpkafunda.com/snap-shot/
https://www.gpkafunda.com/snap-shot/#commentsMon, 12 Dec 2016 08:00:33 +0000http://careerlauncher.com/gpspeaks/?p=1075SNAP, conducted by Symbiosis International University for admission to its fifteen management institutes (offering 21 programs), is one of the most popular management entrance tests and is taken by over 50,000 students every year due to availability of a wide range of institutes. The level of difficulty of the questions asked in SNAP usually ranges from easy to moderate. A CAT paper would usually be considered more difficult than a normal SNAP paper. However, the limited time available for attempting the paper (120 minutes for 150 questions) makes it a bit challenging for some students.

SNAP – A great opportunity

SNAP becomes an extremely crucial exam for those who don’t feel good about their IIFT and CAT performance as there is no weightage given to the candidates’ academic profile. The interview shortlisting for interviews is now only done on the basis of the SNAP scores. In the final selection, also SNAP scores has a weight of 50% and the balance 50% is for Interview, Group Exercise and Writing Ability Test. Therefore, the students who wish to pursue an MBA this year but have poor academic records must definitely see SNAP as a great opportunity.

Also, since many of the SNAP institutes receive insufficient applications from SC/ST and PWD candidates, they call all such candidates for the interview irrespective of their percentile. Thus, the students belonging to a reserved category should definitely apply to some of the lower end SNAP institutes.

SNAP – The Structure

The SNAP paper has been remarkably consistent in terms of structure; except for 2008 when differential marking was present in 3 out of the 4 sections (analytical & logical reasoning did not have differential marking). The level of difficulty of the sections has also been quite consistent (except in 2015, which I’ve discussed below, separately). The SNAP paper comprises 150 questions adding to 150 marks, with 25% negative marking. Students are allotted 2 hours to attempt this paper. There has been a change in the format of SNAP since 2015 and the structure of SNAP 2016 is given below.

SNAP does not have sectional time limits and you have complete freedom to decide how to allocate your 120 minutes to the different sections. The students must visit the SNAP Exam Corner to stay updated about the SNAP exam.

SNAP 2015 vs. SNAP 2016

To begin with, it is important to address the fact that SNAP 2015, as a paper, was quite an aberration. In terms of the questions asked, it was probably the weirdest SNAP paper in the recent past. The paper was not only unusually difficult than its previous versions but also had some unexpected kind of questions especially in Logical Reasoning where some of the questions seem to have been picked up straight from “Whatsapp” jokes and forwards.

The good thing is that it surely was only an aberration and the craziness is unlikely to continue this year and even if it continues it should not be a problem as in this case the cutoff would be low and one needs to focus only on the accuracy and not worry about high attempts.

As mentioned above, there has been a change in the paper structure this year. The table given below will give you a quick look of the same.

Till 2015, the General Awareness section had questions on both Static GK and Current Affairs, this year it has been clearly specified that it will only be Current Affairs of the last two years.

The number of questions in GK (now Current Affairs) has gone down from 40 to 30.

The structure of the LR section has changed from 30 questions of 2 marks each’ to ‘40 questions of 1 mark each’. This has reduced the importance of the reasoning section in the paper.

While reduction in the number of GK questions and the focus on Current Affairs only will be welcomed by most of the candidates, the reduced weight of Reasoning means that candidates will need to attempt higher number of questions for the same score. In reasoning, till 2015, a score of 45-50 was possible but this year a good reasoning score will be around 35 marks. Hence I expect the scores to fall by 10-12 marks leading to lower cutoff for the top SNAP institutes.

Section-wise Analysis

A detailed analysis of the four sections in SNAP is given below.

General English: 40 questions for 40 marks

This section is primarily a test of vocabulary and grammar with a couple of short RC passage (less than 200 words) and simple para-jumble questions also thrown in. In the last 3 years, vocabulary has been tested through questions involving synonyms, antonyms, idioms & phrases, fill in the blanks and word usage. In grammar, along with the typical questions involving error spotting, questions based on punctuation, active-passive voice and figure of speech have also appeared. You should target an attempt of 30+ questions in this section in about 25 minutes. If English is your area of strength, you should target attempting all questions in maximum of 30 minutes. Guesswork should be avoided as it can lead to negative marks. This is one area which has been quite consistent in its difficulty level over the years. Even SNAP 2016 had a balanced English section.

Arithmetic and Data Interpretation usually contribute around 25-30 questions to this section. SNAP papers have usually had only 2-3 Data Sufficiency questions but SNAP 2013 paper did not have any DI or DS questions in this section. Four DI questions were however asked in the Reasoning section. The SNAP 2014 paper on the other hand had DI but not DS. Geometry, Algebra, P&C and Number Series have also appeared in SNAP. Almost all the questions in this section are easy to moderate level of difficulty. It is only the errors in a few questions that will stop you from answering all questions of this section. Since your number of attempts in this section is likely to be high, accuracy is of utmost importance. The target attempt for this section should be 30+ questions in 35-40 minutes. The SNAP 2015 paper had about 12-13 questions from Numbers and Modern Math. Thus, SNAP has given a fair distribution of topics over the last few years.

Analytical & Logical Reasoning: 40 questions for 40 marks

SNAP has experimented the most with this section and in the last 5 years with questions from areas as diverse as critical reasoning, deductive logic, analogies, mathematical reasoning, P&C, set theory, directions, cubes, coding-decoding, series, visual reasoning, arrangement and puzzles. Most of the questions in this section are easy to moderate in terms of level of difficulty but, at times, become difficult due to errors in the questions themselves. The target attempt for this section should be 30-33 questions in 35-40 minutes. SNAP 2015 through a curve ball in this section. The questions based upon Analogy and Coding Decoding were quite difficult. An attempt of 18-20 and a score of 32-34 in 45-50 minutes is possible in this section. This is about 14 marks lesser than what was possible in previous years.

General Awareness: 30 questions for 30 marks

As is the case with most MBA entrance tests, in SNAP too, this is the section that worries students the most. However, dealing with this section this year shouldn’t be that tough. Since it has been clearly specified that only Current Affairs of the last year 2 years will be asked, the students should focus on revising only that much. Do not spend more than 10 minutes. Attempt only those questions that you are sure of. The “when in doubt, leave” philosophy has to be followed in this section strictly. The overall difficulty level of this section was on the higher side in SNAP 2015 as compared to the last year’s paper. An attempt of 10-12 with a score of 6-8 was achievable in 10-12 minutes.

How to Prepare?

The best way to prepare for SNAP is to attempt the Mock SNAP and FLTs provided by CL along with the GK Compendium and Quizzes in your SIS. The memory based SNAP 2012 – 15 papers are a must. You must not ignore the SNAP 2015 paper as it will help you understand the highest level of difficulty possible in SNAP. While these papers are available to CL students in their SIS, non-CL students can click here to access the memory based SNAP papers and Mocks. Attempt about 4-6 papers over the next few days and the ones that you cannot , analyze them thoroughly and identify important questions/ topics for revision.

Summary
The SNAP scores cut-offs of the institutes have fluctuated with the level of difficulty of the paper. For SIBM Pune, it has varied from 91 for SNAP 2011 to 118 for SNAP 2010. While there aren’t any sectional cut offs, you should allocate a minimum time to each section so that you do not miss out on any easy question in any section. Also in the past the SNAP institutes not having sectional cut-off had apparently rejected candidates who had a zero or negative scores in any section. Keeping the last four SNAPs in mind the table below summarizes how you should handle the paper.

S.No.

Section

Questions

Time (minutes)

Target attempts

Target score

1.

General English

40

25-30

30-35

25-30

2.

QA, DI & DS

40

35-40

32- 36

30

3.

AR & LR

40

35-40

30-35

32

4.

General Awareness

30

10-15

15-20

10

Total

150

120

110

100

This target score is based on SNAP 2012 – 2014 data. I would advise you to reassess the required number of attempts depending on the level of difficulty of the paper this year.

The following table lists the target SNAP percentile score for the top SNAP institutes for different category of students based on the data of last 3 years.

Category-wise Percentile Cut-offs

Institution

General

SC

ST/DA/PWD

SIBM Pune, MBA

97 – 98

70

30

SCMHRD Pune, MBA

96 – 97

65

35

SIBM Bangalore, MBA

85 – 87

25

15

SIIB Pune, IB

88 – 90

25

15

SIOM Nasik, OM

70

15

10

SITM Pune, TM

70

15

10

SIMS Pune, MBA

65*

–

–

General category cut off for all other SNAP institutes would be in the 40 – 60%ile range.

The cut off for the DA category is usually the same as that of ST Category students but it is advisable to target the SC category cut offs to ensure a good probability of selection.

Most of the SNAP institutes do not receive sufficient number of applications from SC, ST and DA candidates and hence there is a chance of all reserved category applicants getting an interview call from a few institutes.

The Kashmiri Migrant category students should aim for a minimum of 85%ile to make it to SIBM Pune or SCMHRD.

*SIMS cutoff is for Defence Category General which has 80% seats for dependents of Defence personnel.

The Last Word
In a test as simple as SNAP, where most of the questions can be answered or solved without too much effort, the students who make it to the short list are often those who have committed the minimum number of errors. Accuracy is the key differentiator and with sufficient time available, careless mistakes are not acceptable. Students must visit the SNAP Exam Corner right after exam to check their score using the SNAP Score Calculator

]]>https://www.gpkafunda.com/cat-2016-analysis-score-calculator-live-now/feed/7CAT 2016: Change is the only constanthttps://www.gpkafunda.com/cat-2016-pattern-change/
https://www.gpkafunda.com/cat-2016-pattern-change/#commentsWed, 30 Nov 2016 12:01:10 +0000https://www.gpkafunda.com/?p=4676Back in July, there was no ambiguity about CAT 2016. The CAT 2016 website very clearly gave the following information.

CAT 2016 will be a Computer Based Test (CBT) with a total of 100 questions

The duration of the examination will be 180 minutes. There will be three sections:

34-32-34; 44-28-28; 44-32-34; 50-38-35; What will be the pattern of CAT 2016?

Well, that question, to me, is irrelevant! It simply DOES NOT matter!

Whatever be the ‘surprise’, it will be same for all

Whatever be the ‘surprise’, your marks will come from the questions that you solve!

Whatever be the ‘surprise’, the type of questions asked will remain the same.

If CAT 2016 throws a ‘surprise’, all that you got to do is: manage the ‘surprise’. Let me present to you few scenarios:

Change in the number of questions

In CAT 2015 while 60 minutes was excessive for VRC, it was sufficient for QA and less for DILR. It was an unbalanced paper in which one could attempt only 50% of DILR questions while in QA one could almost all the questions in the allotted time. VRC section was biased towards RC which contributed 24 questions while Verbal Logic contributed only 10 questions. Hence it is possible that the number of questions in CAT 2016 will be different from that in CAT 2015.

Thus the changes that are possible in CAT 2016 structure are:

Increase in number of VRC questions by 10-15

Reduction in number of questions in DILR by 4-6 and/or reduction in the level of difficulty of data sets.

Reduction in number of questions in QA by 4-6 and/or minor increase in the level of difficulty.

This obviously means that the number of questions could go up from 100 to around 110 with almost 40% questions from VRC. For those who think this is unlikely I would like to remind them that CAT 2004 paper which had a total 123 questions (VRC 50, DILR 38 & QA 35) was also created by IIMB

Increase in number of VRC questions:

In this scenario the number of RC passages and/or questions is likely to remain the same and the entire increase in the number of questions will be in Verbal Logic. Thus we could see questions from grammar, deductive logic, fill in the blanks, vocabulary etc which were missing in CAT 2015.

The positive aspect of the increase in number of questions in VRC is that level of difficulty will most probably not increase and you can expect an easy paper. Also larger number of questions means greater choice, thus I can spend more time on my strong areas and leave more questions from my weak areas. While those who are comfortable with both VL and RC can target attempting all questions, those who are not comfortable with either RC or VL should not be averse to leaving 1-2 RC passages and/or difficult parts of VL (eg non-MCQ Para Jumbles).

The negative aspect of the increase in the number of questions is that students increase their speed to increase the number of attempts which leads to a high error rate and hence a lower score. What needs to be remembered is that each one of us has our optimum speed of working for different question types and moving faster than our optimum speed will only lead to poorer scores. Thus it may not be possible for a many students to attempt all questions in 60 minutes and hence one should first attempt the question types that one is comfortable with and then go for the others.

Reduction in number of questions in DILR:

This should not be an issue with anyone because in CAT 2015 very few candidates were able to attempt 5-6 data sets. On the contrary this is likely to be welcomed by most of the students because it means you have one set less to worry about. Given that in CAT 2014 and CAT 2015 DILR was difficult with a 95%ile at a net score of around 40, I think we could see some reduction in degree of difficulty of this section.

More importantly, if the data sets in the CAT 2016 Mock Test in the CAT 2016 website are an indicator we could see fewer LR sets. Also the last two CAT papers by IIMB (CAT 2004 & CAT 2008) indicate that we could have data sets which incorporate elements of both LR and DI (or Logical DI). These sets are not purely calculation based and one has to first apply logic and then calculation follows.

Change in number of questions or difficulty level in QA:

In CAT 2014 and 2015 QA was very easy and an attempt of around 30 questions in 60 minutes was not difficult for any above average student. Thus any reduction in the number of questions should logically be accompanied with a marginal increase in the level of difficulty which should reduce the number of attempts for above average students from 30 questions to around 23-25 in 60 minutes. Even without any change in the number of questions the level of difficulty of this section could go up. This should not worry you because this slight increase in the level of difficulty of QA in CAT 2016 will make it similar to the QA section of CL Mock CATs.

Section I: VRC with 45-50 questions almost equally split between RC and Verbal.

Click on the Question Paper Button to open the question paper pdf

Scan the paper to check:

Number and length of RC passages and the number of questions (say 5 passages with 24 questions)

Check the number and type of Verbal Logic questions

Based on your comfort level estimate the time required for RC and VL and the possible number of attempts. Do not worry about attempting all questions but ensure that you do not miss any do-able question from your strong area and leave all difficult questions/passages from your weak area.

The time division between RC and VL would be a function of the type of VL questions, for example more vocabulary based questions as compared to PJ/Summary etc would mean less time to VL.

Work out the sequence in which you will attempt the section.

Most probably in this kind of paper one would give around 35-40 minutes to RC and 20-25 minutes to VL.

My attempt pattern will most probably be:

Scan the paper approximately 3 minutes.

R1: all VL except non-MCQ Parajumbles, approximately 10-12 minutes.

R2: 3-4 RC passages, approximately 35 minutes.

R3: non-MCQ Parajumbles and scan the remaining RC passage and answer only the factual questions.

Take 7-10 minutes, go through (read and understand and not scan) all data sets to identify:

3 data sets that you are most comfortable with, these are your R1 attempts

2-3 data sets that you are most uncomfortable with, these are not to be attempted

Remaining 2-3 data sets are your R2 attempts.

Attempt data sets starting with the one that you are most comfortable with.

Attempt R1 data sets

Attempt R2 data sets

If you have time look at direct questions in the remaining data sets, if not then do not worry you have left the difficult ones that in any case would have given your negative marks.

If it is an easy paper then you will be able to solve data sets faster and will also attempt an extra data set.

Section III: Quantitative Ability

Irrespective of the number of questions the approach should be:

Click on the Question Paper Button to open the question paper pdf

In about 30 sec scan the paper to check if there are any grouped question or Data Sufficiency question and also in general the length of question.

Start sequentially, read the question:

If you are sure of solving the question in approximately 2* minutes, then solve and mark the answer (R1 question)

If you are not sure of solving the question or can solve in 3-4* minutes then mark it for Review and move to the next question (R2 Question)

If you think that you cannot solve the question or it will take more than 4* minutes then leave the question (R3 or not to be attempted Question)

After completing R1 for the section start solving the R2 questions (the ones that were marked for review)

Time permitting, try solving the R3 questions but do not worry if you cannot.

If you are weak in QA then your time limit for R1 questions could be 3-4* minutes and R2 may not happen.

* The time limits are indicative and you need to work out your own time limits based on your comfort with this section.

The Last Word

While I believe that the structure of CAT is irrelevant because it will be same for everyone, the question types do not change and you will do well if you focus on the questions that you can solve. I also hold a view that in a “change year” it is easy to get a good percentile score because whenever there is a change a majority of candidates panic and mess up their paper. So relax and take the paper as it comes without any pre-conceived notions.

All the best for CAT 2016!

GP

]]>https://www.gpkafunda.com/cat-2016-pattern-change/feed/7IIFT done – What Next for CAT 2016?https://www.gpkafunda.com/iift-done-next-cat/
https://www.gpkafunda.com/iift-done-next-cat/#commentsMon, 28 Nov 2016 11:34:03 +0000https://www.gpkafunda.com/?p=4663With IIFT out of the way most of you would have immediately shifted your focus to CAT 2016. However, before you get down to practicing section tests from Test Gym and taking Mock CATs it will be useful to relive your IIFT experience and analyze why you did/did not do well in IIFT and what learning from this paper can you take forward to CAT. Let us first look at the IIFT paper and then discuss what you should do in the 6 days leading up to CAT 2016.

Let me share with you how I would have attempted the IIFT 2017-19 paper:

Step 1: Scan the paper in the first 3-4 minutes

You would have observed the following:

LR: 22 questions, 5 data sets (including star figure) very few single questions. Normal time should be fine but could lead to lower attempts as it has sets. Give 30 minutes for this section.

DI: 20 questions, easy to understand data sets and short questions. Looks easier than older IIFT papers. Should spend at least 10 minutes as DI appears do-able, can look at an extra 5 minutes if LR is time consuming.

RC: 4 passages, length of passages has come down and hence can give 5 minutes extra and attempt an extra passage. Target all passages in 20 minutes.

EU: Almost all vocabulary based but could take a higher amount of time because the structure of the vocab questions eg. crossword. 15 minutes should be fine.

EU: as per plan, would not have attempted 3-4 questions eg. Spelling, origin of the word etc.

RC: as per plan, would have attempted all passages. May have left 2-3 questions if finding the answer was difficult.

LR: would have started with the single questions (Venn diagram, number series etc), then to “Star Figure” and then picked up the data sets. While attempting the sets I would have realized that the section is a bit difficult and hence with easier DI might be worth while to look at DI (due to easy to understand data and short questions) and then come back to LR.

DI: would have spent an extra 5 minutes and attempted about 10-12 questions. From each data set would have picked up low calculation questions and left the high calculation ones. Would have left the DI with 30 minutes to go.

QA: Attempt the short and easy to solve questions as per the plan.

Questions for you:

Q1. Did you scan the paper?

If yes, were you able to pick out that this paper has easier DI and RC, time consuming LR and EU?

If no, then see how you could have identified this.

You will need to do the same in CAT – decide on the relative time between EU & RC and LR & DI.

Q2: While attempting the LR section did you get a feeling that it is difficult?

If no, why could you not identify that LR appears to be difficult?

If yes then after attempting the easier sets did you move on to DI before completing the LR section?

If you did move on, you are fine.

If you continued with LR despite identifying it as difficult, why?

You will need to do this in DILR section of CAT.

Q3: Did you waste your time in any section/question?

In GK and Vocab questions, of EU, did you brood over questions despite not knowing the answer or the meaning of the word?

In LR and DI, were you able to identify:

The DI and LR sets to be attempted?

Questions from DI sets that should/should not be attempted.

In QA were you able to pick up the easy and less time consuming questions?

If no, why not?

Did you waste your time in any difficult/time consuming question?

This will tell you how good your question selection is and will be needed in all sections in CAT.

The above, to my mind should be done immediately so that you are able to fine-tune your test taking. This might mean that you will have to spend a couple of hours on the IIFT paper but it will significantly improve your performance in CAT. Remember that in the 6 days to CAT 2017 you cannot improve your knowledge base but you can take your test taking ability up a couple of levels which can significantly improve your scores.

Once you have taken stock of the above, the question that needs to be answered is what to do over the next 6 days leading up to CAT. The key is to focus on strengths and positives while not overworking yourself. Ensure you write 2-3 mocks and keep yourself away from any studies in the 36 odd hours leading to CAT. Do go through the new pattern mocks that are a part of each CL Test series product now and join my ‘Last minute tips to Crack CAT 2016’ webinar on 30th Nov. Follow the schedule “6 din CAT in” schedule to make the most of the upcoming six days.

All the best

GP

]]>https://www.gpkafunda.com/iift-done-next-cat/feed/25The Mystery of R1, R2, R3 Solved: Presenting the ‘Strength Finder’https://www.gpkafunda.com/r1-r2-r3-strength-finder/
https://www.gpkafunda.com/r1-r2-r3-strength-finder/#commentsFri, 21 Oct 2016 06:30:29 +0000https://www.gpkafunda.com/?p=1845Why is it that most of us are unable to identify R1, R2, and R3 questions while taking Mock CATs and usually end up attempting the difficult questions over the easier ones? The reason is that most of us are confused about our strengths and weaknesses. We work at the macro level i.e. the topic level (Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry etc.) but our attempts in CAThave to be at the question type level, and many of us are unable to reconcile the two levels.

Is it something new to us? Of course not! We have done this regularly for our school and college exams. For the school/college exams, we would focus not on the chapter (or the topic) but, within each chapter, on the sub-topics or question types that we could handle. We would first attempt the questions that we were sure of answering correctly (R1) and then move on to questions that we were reasonably sure of answering, at least partly (R2). The questions that we were not sure of were not even touched. CAT and all other MBA entrance exams are no different and this tried and tested method of test-taking is what you need to implement to get a good score in MBA entrances.

The first step is to understand your comfort level within different question types (not topics or sub-topics) that appear in CAT and other MBA entrance. Hopefully, the Mock CATs that you have taken so far have given you an idea about your strong and not so strong question types. If not then please analyze your last 2-3 Mocks as suggested in the post ‘Are you choosing the right questions in your Mock CATs?’

Now that you have some understanding of your strong and not so strong question types, fill up the Strength Finder which lists down the question types that have appeared in CAT off late. The strength finder comes with the CAT Score Booster and can be found in your SIS if you have access to the CAT Score Booster. There are two blank columns corresponding to every question type. Based on your comfort level, decide which of the two columns each question type belongs to. What goes into which column is defined below:

Column II should contain all those question types that you are able to attempt correctly most of the time or for which you mark the correct answer in at least 75% of the questions. These are your strengths.

Column I should contain all the topics and question types in which your accuracy is extremely poor or those topics which you are not able to comprehend. These are your weaknesses. These are the topics for which you need serious improvement.

The funda is simple, either you are good at a particular topic or you need improvement in it. There is no middle ground. Once you are aware of the topics that belong to these two categories for you, you need to put in an effort to bring them from column II to column I. I.

How to implement in CAT?

This categorization of QA questions into Column I & II helps us in identifying which questions should be attempted in each of the three rounds.

Column II questions that can be solved in about 100 seconds should be attempted in R1.

Column II questions that are not solved/attempted in R1 or take more than 100 seconds should be attempted in R2.

Column I questions should be attempted in R2 or R3 if time permits.

This will also ensure that you do not waste time on risky shots and double negatives.

How much time should be spent in each round?

This is a function of how comfortable you are with the section and how many questions you can attempt comfortably. Let me give you 3 different scenarios:

If your target attempt in QADI is 30+ questions:

R1 could be 30 minutes for 12-14 attempts consisting of questions that can be solved in less than 2 minutes. R2 could be 20 minutes for another 10-12 attempts and R3 could be the balance 10 minutes for around 8-10 questions.

You could also compress this in two Rounds of 40 and 20 minutes with 15-16 attempts in each round (R1 and R2).

If your target attempt in QADI is around 25 questions:

R1 could be 40 minutes for 12-14 questions, consisting of questions that can be solved in less than 3 minutes. R2 could be 15 minutes for another 8-12 questions and R3 could be the balance 5 minutes for 2-3 questions.

You could also compress this in two Rounds (R1 and R2 only) of 45 and 15 minutes with 12-13 attempts in each round.

If your target attempt in QADI is 20-22 questions:

Do not go for three Rounds, two are sufficient. You could target 10-11 questions in 40 minutes of R1 and 20 minutes of R2.

Alternately you could consider attempting the section in one round (only R1) of 60 minutes and attempt only those QA questions that are in Column II and can be solved by you in less than 4 minutes.

Needless to say, all this is only indicative and you will need to create your own structure based on your strengths and weaknesses. Please work out a strategy that works for you based on the Mock CATs taken so far and test it out in a couple of mock CATs before freezing it.

Instructions for using Strength Finder:

CL students can access ‘Strength Finder’ in the CAT Score Booster from the homepage of their SIS. Other students can access it by registering here.